model 1 of 3

Definition of modelnext

model

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adjective

model

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun model differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of model are example, exemplar, ideal, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When could example be used to replace model?

The meanings of example and model largely overlap; however, example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning.

children tend to follow the example of their parents

Where would exemplar be a reasonable alternative to model?

The synonyms exemplar and model are sometimes interchangeable, but exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

When might ideal be a better fit than model?

The words ideal and model are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

In what contexts can pattern take the place of model?

Although the words pattern and model have much in common, pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of model
Noun
Later, the drivers joined the models at their apartment for dinner and drinks. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Feb. 2026 By the mid-2000s, the Bush White House prioritized jail enforcement and task force models of 287(g), Torres recalled. Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Since 2019, the company has deployed adaptive robots equipped with vision and force sensing, integrated through an industrial internet platform to enable agile, multi-model production. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026 Yang’s mock competition with the actor Simu Liu, best known for being the first Asian star of a Marvel movie, poked fun at how goofy these milestones could sound, while also ribbing the expectations set by the model-minority stereotype. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
Booker and the halftime show performer, Bad Bunny, have both been romantically linked to model Kendall Jenner. Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 17 Feb. 2026 Its components can be rearranged to model different limb lengths, weight distributions and joint ranges of motion. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for model
Recent Examples of Synonyms for model
Noun
  • Given how much biomedical research has been conducted in space, the scarcity of research on reproduction surprised me.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
  • That combination — a limited geographic range, low reproduction rates and early life stages in shallow waters — raises real concerns about the fish’s future.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Even Pop Mart, the toy maker behind the Labubu dolls, also operates a theme park in Beijing.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Autism is a spectrum, and no single doll can represent every child’s experience.
    Tiffany Hodges, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • To turn this idea into something practical, the team first grew a large, uniform sheet of monolayer MoS₂ on a 4-inch wafer.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Listed with Chad Carroll and Michelle Suegart of The Chad Carroll Group, Villa De Casuarina captures the kind of Miami luxury that isn’t trying too hard—expansive, private, and built around the simple idea that the best amenity might still be stepping from your backyard onto a boat.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The mini lamb chops are a classic treat for carnivores.
    Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Culinary trends come and go, but a classic Martha Stewart recipe is forever.
    Jennifer Anderson, Martha Stewart, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In my two-level penthouse suite, for example, quietly floral wallpaper, gray-velvet sofas and armchairs, and patterned cream tiles with gold accents in the bathrooms made for a sophisticated, yet welcoming space.
    Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026
  • The institutions studied by political scientists do not exist outside ideology but are simply patterned instances of ideology—and if ideology changes drastically enough, the institutions change with it.
    Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • These bags, though miniature in size, are only one piece of a massive trend.
    Amanda Wallace, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The Foo Fighters have released a whole batch of new music on their website — in miniature.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • In the fluorescent glare of a rundown Indonesian wig factory, vats of human hair simmer in huge cauldrons, stirred by hunched laborers as rows of mannequin heads watch blankly from the dark.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
  • An entrance corridor is lined with mannequins dressed in museum-grade designs by Martin Margiela, Comme des Garçons and Noir Kei Ninomiya.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • For example, Mermentau Cove previously used Mardi Gras funds to construct a pavilion for their graveyard and add flags to veterans' graves.
    Carlie Procell, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
  • For example, media scrutiny and social media attention around an executive’s relationship with Epstein could cost a Wall Street bank a lucrative role advising on an IPO or a mega merger.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/model. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

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